Product Reviews

Eclipse's Wizard Gamer SLi 6000a86GTS is the first PC we've seen to include AMD's new Athlon X2 6000+ processor as well as Nvidia's new 8600GTS graphics card. Despite all this new technology, though, it costs a surprisingly reasonable £1,000 including VAT.

Most of the PCs we've seen recently use a speedy Intel Core 2 Duo processor, but the Wizard's Athlon X2 6000+ is by no means a second-rate substitute. It held its own in our benchmarks, and performed particularly well in our video-editing and multitasking tests. Overall, its performance is similar to a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo E6600 and it should be able to handle all but the most punishing of tasks.

The GeForce 8600GTS is Nvidia's new mid-range DirectX 10-compatible graphics card and the Wizard uses two of them in SLI mode. It performed well in our 3D games tests, scoring 65.1fps in Prey and 49.4fps in Call of Duty 2, which is comparable to a single GeForce 8800GTS graphics card. The Wizard should be able to play today's games with ease, and it will be able to play upcoming DirectX 10 games.

The presence of two graphics cards means there are only two PCI slots available for fitting peripherals such as TV tuners, and one of them is blocked off by a riser for one of the FireWire 400 ports. There's no need to add a wireless networking

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adaptor, though, as one is integrated into the motherboard.

If you want to fit another optical drive, there are six 5in drive bays. Unfortunately, there aren't any 3in bays available for adding another internal hard disk, so you'll have to use a 31/4in-to-3in bay adaptor. Although inconvenient, drive bay adaptors are available for less than £10 from suppliers such as www.maplin.co.uk. Alternatively, you could add an external hard disk using the eSATA, two FireWire 400 or seven USB2 ports. There's no need to add a memory card reader as one is already present.

Movie fans will be pleased by the 22in widescreen Xerox monitor. It has a high resolution of 1,680x1,050, which is ideal for watching DVDs or playing games. It isn't ideal for image editing, however, as onscreen images have a distinct bluish tinge and some subtle banding was clearly visible in our greyscale transitions test. Bizarrely, the display has only D-sub sockets even though both graphics cards have only DVI ports.

Film fans will also like the 5.1 Logitech surround-sound speakers, which are more than adequate for gaming and movies. The supplied cordless Microsoft keyboard and mouse are comfortable, but keen gamers will want a wired USB set. Not everyone will like the keyboard's curved, ergonomic design. The Wizard's case is also a matter of taste, with its neon blue-illuminated side panel and ornamental front flaps.

Eclipse's Wizard Gamer SLi 6000a86GTS is a well-equipped PC that's quick in both Windows and games. We liked its large, widescreen monitor and built-in wireless networking, but were annoyed by its lack of 3in drive bays and the monitor's bluish cast. Overall, it's well suited as a general-purpose family computer or gaming PC, but gamers might prefer Mesh's Elite E6600 GTS, which has a single and slightly faster 8800GTS graphics card.